The present invention relates to the building element described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,703,248.
Where walls are exposed to moisture, such as walls of water storage tanks and building walls below ground level, typically waterproofing is applied to the walls that are exposed to the moisture. In the construction of conventional concrete and reinforced masonry walls, the walls need to be protected from moisture as exposure to moisture over time will cause degradation of the concrete and corrosion of the steel. A still further problem is mould, mildew and fungus and bacterial development on the walls. To address this issue typically a waterproof membrane is applied to inhibit water reaching the concrete or reinforced masonry wall. It is not unusual to provide a gap between an earth surface and the wall to enable a water proofing membrane to be applied. Typically the gap can be 40 inches. This gap can be considered a safety issue for workers.
The above construction of walls that are to exist in a damp environment has a number of disadvantages in that if the waterproofing fails then the wall will degrade. A further disadvantage is the loss of floor area should a gap be required between the wall and an earth surface.